Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



Aug. 3o, .1927.

R. A. MOCANN RAILWAY yTRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS original Filed Maron 1. 1924 Patented Aug. 30, j 1927.

UNITED .STATES y 1,640,419 PATENTS OFFICE.

RONALD A. McoANN, oF sWIsSVALE, PENNsY-LVANA, AssIeNoR To THE IIN-10N SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, lor fsWIssvALn, rEN-NsYLVANIA, .A ooRPonA'rIoN OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-QONTROLLIN APPAATUS.

Original application led March 1., 1924, Serial No. 696,??45, Patent No. r1,629,832, dated May [24, '1,927.,

Divided and this a-ppncatioa nea .ramiary 2e, `1927. seran No. 163,690.'

My invention relates to railway traffic controlling apparatus, and particularly. to apparatus of the type comprisingtrain carried governing means controlled, by energy receivedV from the trackway. More particularly my present invention relates tothe trackway portion of such apparatus.

The present case isa division of my copending application Serial 696,344, rfiled March 1, 1924, for railway traflic controlling apparatus which has matured into Patent No. 1,629,832, dated May 24, 1927.

I will describe one `form of trackw-ay apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims. V

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view showing one form of trackway apparatus embodying my invention.

kReferring to the drawing, the reference characters 1 and 1- designate the track` rails of a stretch ot railway track, over which lt-raiiic normally moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. These track rails are divided, by means of insulatedjoints 2, into a plurality of successive blocks, of which only one block A-C is shown in the drawing. The block A-C is similarly divided into a forward track section B/-C and a rear track section A-B. Each of the sections is provided with a track relay designated by the reference character R with a suitable exponent and connected across the rails adjacent the entrance end or' the associated section. Each such track relay `is controlled by current supplied to the rails of the ycorresponding section from a battery BA 'connected across the rails adjacent the exit 4end ot the section. j

Each track section is also provided with a tracktransi'ormer designated by the 'reference character TV with an appropriate 'tinguishing exponent and having its secondary 3 connected across therails adja= cent the exit end of the associated section in series with the track battery 13. The primary 4 of each such track transformer-is constantly supplied with alternatinggcurrent from terminals D and E of a suitable source of energy not show-n in the drawing. it follows that each section is constantly supplied with direct current or the control of the track relay, and also with alternating track .circuit current.

Located adjacent the entrance end of each blockisa polarizedline'relay. Only relay Gr associated with block A-C is illustra'ted in the drawing. f

' -Each-"block is provided with a trackway signalwdesignated by the referencel character yS Awith an appro riate exponent and controlled by the associated relayG. Each signal as here shown isV a three-position semaphore signalcapable of displaying a proceed, a caution or astopindication.r The controll of thesesignals formsr no part of in'y present invention and is omittedy from the drawing for thesaikeof simplicity. For present purposes it is suicient to state that each signal S is soV controlled by its associated relay G that when'the corresponding block is occupied, the signal. indicates stop;

when thecorresponding 'lock is unoccupied but the block next in advance is occupied,

the signal indicates caution; and when the corresponding' block and the *nextl block in advance :are both unoccupied the signal indicates proceed. j n

Associated with signal SC are a pole changer PC anda circuit controller KC, the functions'of Vwhich will be described indetail hereinafter. Y i

A ill-ay GA isI provided with a circuit which passes from a suitable source of energy, such as aV .battery N, through .pole changer PC, wire' 16t-ront'contact 17 of relay RB, wire 1x8., front contact 19 of relay Rf, wire 20, winding of relay GA, wire 21, pole changer PC and back to battery This circuit is closed only when relays RA and RB are both energized, under which conditions relay@A is supplied with current of one polarity, which I shall call normal polarity, rwhen signal SC indicaties proceed or cant-ion, and with current of the opposite polarity which I shall call'reverse polarity when signal SC indicates stop.

A Located at point By is an auxiliary relay J connected across wires -18 and 21. This relay'is responsive to reversals of the relativel polarity supplied thereto. n

n Means are also provided for supplying the "rails in parallel of eachtrack lsection with acurrent which I will term a loop lli current. For this purpose I provide each track section with an impedance` 6 connected across the rails adjacent the entrance end ot the section and a similar impedance connected across the rails adjacent the exit end ot' the section. Section B-C is further provided with a similar impedance 8 connected across the rails at an intermediate point in the section. Loop-current is supplied to each section 'from a loop transformer designated by the reference character L with an' exponent corresponding to the location. Secondary 9 ot transformer LB is connected with impedances 6 and 7 in section A-B. Primary l0 of transformer LB is provided with a circuit which passes from terminal I) ci' the source of alternating current through polar contact 32 ot relay J, wire 83, i'ront'contact 34 of relay'J,'wire 35, primary IO, wire 86, polar contact 37 of relay J, and back to terminal E of the same source. It follows that section A+B is supplied with loop current of normal or reverse relative polarity accordingas relay J is energized in the normal or reverse direction but vthat no loop current is supplied to section AMB when relay J is de-energized. The primary IO of transformer LC is constantly supplied with alter Anating current from terminals D and E.

One loop circuit for section B-C passes from Vsecondary 9 of transformer LC through wire 'IO, circuit Vcontroller KC operated by signal SC, wire 4l, impedance 6 in section BMC, through both rails of the section in parallel to impedance 7, and wire 4t2 back to secondary 9 of t"anstoriner LC. This cir cuit is closed only when signal SC indicates proceed or caution, under which condition section B-C is supplied with loop current ot normal relative polarity throughout the length of the section. A second loop circuit is provided for section B-C over which current'flows from secondary 9L of transformer LC, through wire 44, impedance 8 in section B-C, through bothl rails of the section in parallel to impedance'6, wire 4l, circuit controller KC operated by signal SC and wire 43 back to secondary 9L of transformer LC. This circuit is closed only when signal SC indicates stop under whici conditions section B-C is supplied with loop current of reverse relative polarity loetween impedances 6 and 8.

he trackway apparatus herein shown and described is capable ot co-operation with train carried governing means not shown in the drawing in such manner that when the train occupies a stretch of track which is supplied with track circuit current and with loop current of normal relative polarity a proceed indication is received on the train; when the train occupies a portion of track which is supplied with track circuit current and with loop current of reverse relative polarity a caution indication is rejceived on the train; and when the train occupies a portion of track to which the Y l plied to relay .GA and to relay J. Current of normal relative polarity isy therefore supplied to the primary of transformer LB.

SectionsA-B and B-C are each sup-y plied with track circuit current` and with loop current of normal relative polarity throughout the lengths of the sections. It, now, a train moving in the direction of the arrow enters block A-C such train will receive a proceed indication throughout the block. The operation ot the apparatus would be the same were signal SC at caution.

I will now assume that signal SC is at stop, as would be the case it a train oc-v cupied the block to the right of point C.

Pole changer PC and circuit controllerl;C are rreversed and current of reverse relative polarity is supplied to relay GA and to relay J. Current of reverse relative Vpolarity is then supplied to primary l0 of transformer LB so that the rails of section A---Il are supplied with loop current ot reverse relative polarity throughout their length. Furthermore circuit controller KC is now reversed so that loop Acurrent of reverse relative polarity is supplied to the rails of section B-C between impedances 6 and 8, but no loop current is supplied to section B-C vloetween impedances 8 andl 7. It' a train moves through block A-C under these conditions it will receive a caution indication from point A to impedance 8 in section B-C, and a stop indicatonfrom impedance 8 to point C.

It should also be pointedl out that it one train occupies section B-C so that relay RB is cle-energized, relay J will' also he open. No loop current is supplied to section A-B under these conditions Aand a following train would receive a stop indication throughout section A-B.

One feature of my invention is that the same two line wires extending throughout the block for the control of line relay Gr located at the entrance end of the hlock'are utilized to control the relative polarity of the loop current supplied to the rearsection of the block.

In the accompanying drawing .I haveV shown my invent-ion applied to a train controlling system in which the train carried governing means is controlled ley-track cirbe particularly pointed out that this specific arrangement is not essential.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of trackway apparatus embodying my invention, 1t 1s under` track, trackway train governing means for said stretch including a first polarized relay, means for supplying said polarized relay with current of one relative polarity or the other, a second polarized relay connected in parallel with said first relay,'and means controlled by said second polarized relay for supplying said stretch with train governing current of one relative polarity or the other.

2. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, traflic governing means for said rear section includinor a polarized relay, a trackway signal controIled by traflic conditions in advance of said forward section, means responsive to the condition of said signal for supplying said relay with current of one relative polarity or the other, a second relay connected in parallel with said first relay and responsive to the relative polarity of the current supplied thereto, and means controlled by said second relay for supplying train governing current of one relative polarity or the other to the rails of said rear section.

3. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, traffic governing means for said rear section including a polarized relay, a trackway signal controlled by traiic conditions in advance of said forward section, means responsive to the conditions of said signal for supplying said relay with current of one relative polarity or the other, a second relay connected in parallel with said first relay and responsive to the relative polarity of the current supplied thereto, means controlled by said second relay for supplying train governing current of one relative polarity or the other to the rails of said rear section, and means responsive to the condition of said signal for supplying train governing 'current of one relative polarity or the other to said forward section. f

4. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, trafc governing means for the rear section including a polarized relay, a first and a second track relay responsive to traiiic conditions in the forward andthe rear sections respectively, a trackway signal controlled by t-raliic conditions in advance of the forward section, a pole changer controlled by the signal, a circuit for the polarized relay including the pole changer and a front contact of each said vtrack relay, a second polarized relay connected in parallel with the first polarized relay and the front contact of the second track relay, and means controlled by the second polarized relay for supplying train governing current of one krelative polarity or the other to the rails of the rear section.

5. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, traffic governing means for said rear section including a polarized relay, a trackway signal controlled by traliic conditions in advance of said forward section, means responsive to the conditions of said signal for supplying said relay with current of one relative polarity or the other, a second relay connected in parallel with said first relay and responsive to the relative polarity of the current supplied thereto, means controlled by said second relay for supplying the rails of the rea-r section with train governing current the character of which depends upon the direction of energization of such second relay,

and means for supplying the forward section with train governing current the character of which depends upon the condition of said signal.

G. In combination, a forward and a rear section of railway track, traffic governing means for the rear section including a relay, a circuit for said relay controlled in accordance with traffic conditions in advance of the forward section, a second relay connected in parallel with the first relay, and means controlled by the second relay for supplying train governing current to the rails of the rear section.

In testimony whereof I afX ymy signature.

RONALD A. MCCANN. 

